Dreams of an Absolution

"Clutch it like a cornerstone otherwise it all comes down

Justify denials and grip 'em to the lonesome end

Clutch it like a cornerstone otherwise it all comes down

Terrified of being wrong

Ultimatum prison cell"

The Grudge (Tool "Lateralus")


Dreams of an Absolution

Chapter 13

So...she's not going to stay in every recess, right?"

"Of course not...I don't want to spend more time with that miserable brat than I have to,"

"That's good, how many more days do you think you'll need to help her?"

"Mmm...today was the last. She is sufficiently caught up. Despite my loathing for the damnable human...she is well educated,"

"Yeah...she was never stupid. She's just...such a spoiled brat!"

"Humans of great wealth tend to mistake monetary value with personal worth. She's just another pitiful human. She does not compare to you, Blossom,"

"...Thank you. Do you really think so?"

"Child...must you ask such foolish questions? They belie your brilliance,"

"I'm sorry..."

"There's no need to...apologize...child, what is troubling you? Please, cease this leaking!"

"...I miss eating with you,"

"...Don't you prefer the Blue Boy's company? You seem quite content with him,"

"I love playing with Boomer but..."

"But, I love you more,"

"It's time for bed, Blossom,"

"I know...goodnight, Aku,"

"Goodnight, Blossom,"

XxXxX

Don't. You. Ever. Do. That. To ME...AGAIN!

Black, nightmare, smoldering ruins, a pained scream rings out, shattering the engulfing silence. High above, thunder crashes.

Blossom stared at Aku, seething with a rage she could barely understand. Every fiber of her being was on fire. Her heart was blazing in her chest. Her chest was tearing open. The scar was bleeding again; the pain was unreal. The world felt darker, life felt lighter, everything felt somehow more real than it had in so very long. But the rage...the rage was out of control.

Skin tears and blood splatters the concrete. Tears mingle with sweat on purple bruises, a sickening thud hits the ground. The sky trembles in silent despair; the Earth holds its breath.

She slammed him against the wall, watching the sprinkler water pour down on him. Steam shot up from his eyebrows; steam rose up from her skin. She could barely see through the red haze. At first she was afraid of what lay beyond the veil. As she slammed against the wall a second time, she saw the look in his eyes. His eyes were wide and glassy. She could almost see her reflection, deep in their inky depths.

Why do they fear you, child?

A lone figure stands,; the world finally succumbs to its scars. Eyes ablaze, encased in a sheathe of fire. A shrill laugh splits the dead air. Darkness devours the dying light.

TELL ME NOW!

d A e S u M e G o

XxXxX

I never used to remember my dreams...sometimes I'd wake up, wondering if I even dreamt at all. Of course, I knew I had. You dream every night...but there are just some nights that feel too fast to have time for any nocturnal murmurings. Of course, in the old days, I usually woke up to the sound of the Hotline. Whether rushing into action, or grumbling and turning over again...the sudden start was enough to force my dreams into nonexistence. These days...I'm sleeping longer...I'm sleeping harder...I'm dreaming more vividly.

Blossom stood in the shower, staring at the water swirling down the drain. Steam filled the tiny bathroom, struggling to escape through the small crack beneath the door. Blossom winced every so often as the searing hot water collided with her still very tired body. Reflexively, she rubbed her chest. The clock downstairs was ticking on with the seconds. It had been about twenty-five minutes, by her estimation.

What is it about these dreams? Why does it feel like...like I want to remember them, but at the same time...I want to pretend they never happened. It's an exhilarating sensation. All of the destruction. The darkness wrapped around me, so sleek, so safe...so sexy.

Blossom shivered and struggled to turn the water up further. The handle was at its limit...she sighed and lowered her head. Biting her lip, she narrowed her eyes, firing a thin stream of heat at the shower head. Just a few moments and the water had reached a boiling point. Blossom smiled and lowered her head, letting her hair fall down in waves. Swallowing, she watched the soapy water swirl around the drain.

But the death...the screams of pain. I can still feel my sister's skin against mine. I can feel her bones grinding, her flesh tearing as my blades dig through her like butter. I can still see the look in her eyes...so wide and terrified. I can still hear her crying, feel her trembling beneath me. I can feel her lips around my finger tips; I can feel her shaking at my slightest, softest touch. I see...with unbearable clarity...the horror and betrayal reflecting in her blue eyes.

Blossom threw her hair back, heating the water a second time. It was going to be a long day...dealing with Princess, dealing with the people of Townsville...being so close and yet...still so very, very far away. The water was getting cold.

I don't want to remember this nightmare. I don't want to keep seeing the pain and suffering I caused. What was I thinking? I wasn't...the truth is I wasn't thinking. I let...I let my emotions get the best of me. I just turned my back on everything I had always held sacred. I turned my back on everyone. I betrayed the people of Townsville. I betrayed my parents. I betrayed my sisters.

The clock downstairs had stopped ticking.

Why did the dream have to end?

XxXxX

"Now as you can see...the message this author was trying to put forth is that humankind are like pigs. Wallowing in filth, miserable pathetic beings whose only true purpose is to grow fatter and more complacent until the day he is gutted by a butcher of a superior race!" Blossom snickered, while the rest of the class simply stared blankly. Uka-sensei crossed his arms in irritation, throwing the book down on his desk.

"Is there something you find amusing, Blossom? Do speak up, Uka is most attentive!" Blossom rolled her eyes.

"I'm pretty sure the book is about communism, Uka-sensei," There was a collective intake. Apparently the bulk of her class didn't understand that Blossom disagreeing with Uka-sensei wasn't going to cause the apocalypse. If anything...their teacher's boisterous laugh as he shook his head proved quite the opposite. Uka-sensei enjoyed their exchanges.

"Foolish child, perhaps that is what the author himself intended, but that is not the message the novel puts forth! There are numerous caricatures of humanity's folly!" Blossom chuckled and rested her cheek on her hand. She didn't disagree, but she had her reasons for arguing. Not the least of which was sheer enjoyment of hearing her teacher talk.

"That may be how you perceive it as a Monstro-American, but I can assure you that it's just blatant bias on your part," Uka-sensei snatched the nearest copy of the book, which happened to belong to Princess. While she pouted, Blossom snickered again.

"Is that so? Let us look shall we? We are first treated to this...ghastly figure, this Old Major fool. Perhaps the only worthwhile creature in this whole book!" Uka-sensei snorted and flipped to a page in the first chapter.

"How does Old Major reflect poorly on mankind? Is it because he dies?" Uka-sensei shook his head, smirking.

"Of course not, child. Greater creatures than man have met their demise. No, this swine inspires the foolish animals of the farm to some FOOLISH ideal. And in their ignorance they believe him. It is this very ideal that allows the devious swine to enslave the others. The simple farm animals are too foolish to think for themselves!" Blossom nodded, licking her lips. She glanced at Princess, who was still glaring at her. She smirked, as if daring her to comment. Princess stuck her nose in the air and crossed her arms.

"I think Mr. Uka's right, the animals were all stupid peasants," Blossom rolled her eyes, turning to a page in the book.

"What about Snowball? He had noble intentions, right?" Uka-sensei seemed to be the only one to catch the sarcastic tone in her voice. He cracked a quite uncharacteristic grin, stopping in front of her desk. Blossom licked her lips again, locking eyes with the monster.

"Yes, the weaker swine had good intention, but to whence does the path of good intention lead? In the end, the fool fled for his own safety. He lacked any backbone or strength to see through his...'righteous' vision, and represented the idealistic failure of mankind's collective history. All good intention flees in the sight of challenge," Blossom chuckled, shaking her head when she spotted another character on the page. This one would be too easy.

"So...what do you think of Boxer?" The class jumped, Blossom included, when Uka-sensei burst into uproarious laughter. He sat on the edge of his desk, flipping through the pages of Princess' book. When he reached the page he was searching for, he started to laugh again. In the back, Molly Beware spoke up.

"What's funny, Uka-sensei? I liked Boxer...he was a hard worker..." she mumbled. A few other classmates agreed. Blossom rolled her eyes. Boxer was an idiot.

"Boxer was an idiot, child. The fool was too simple-minded to realize his own demise coming! He continuously worked toward a fool's dream, and failed miserably in the end! The horse was but a pawn to more dominant minds. His 'hard work' was all he was good for. He was nothing important; in the end he was a mere...minion," Uka-sensei spat back, pacing the front of the room, his hands clasped behind his back. Molly frowned and looked at her frayed copy of the book.

"I still liked him..." She whispered. Blossom raised her hand, ready to continue the discussion, but Princess cut her off.

"Put your hand down, no one wants to hear you go on and on all the time. Oh look at me, I'm so smart, I'm going to try to outsmart the teacher. Yeah, you're real cool," Princess said, glaring daggers at Blossom. The Powerpuff girl narrowed her eyes and slowly lowered her hand. Somewhere in the back of her mind, there was an ember lighting up. Blossom opened her mouth, a retort at the tip of her tongue. She quickly clammed up, turning away in frustration.

Thankfully, before any further discussion, or argument, could break out, the bell rang. The students charged for the door, save for Blossom, who patiently waited behind. Snarling, willing back a biting sense of destruction, the auburn Powerpuff girl climbed out of her seat and grabbed her lunch sack.

"I'll see you in an hour, Uka-sensei," She called, glancing over her shoulder. Uka-sensei merely smirked mysteriously. Blossom paused as he cocked his head to the side. Something in his eyes...she blushed and hurried out the door.

Cheeks hot, her legs wobbly, Blossom jogged toward the cafeteria. She arrived, slightly winded, just in time to see Boomer waving across the sea of students. She smiled brightly and shuffled her way through the crowd. She couldn't help laughing when she reached her best friend. Not even five minutes into lunch and he was already halfway through his sandwich.

"Hey, Blossom! What took you so long? Say bye to A-" Boomer was abruptly cut off by a mitt slapping over his mouth.

"Boomer! His name is Uka-sensei! Okay? And yes...I was saying goodbye to Uka-sensei," Blossom said with a sigh. She dug into her sack, taking out a big juicy red apple. Blossom licked her lips, taking a big messy bite. Boomer snickered as bits of apple splattered on him, taking an equally messy bite of his...odd sandwich. Blossom narrowed her eyes, daintily wiping her mouth.

"Boomer...what in the world is that? Are those bananas?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. Boomer nodded, peeling open the sandwich.

"Yup, peanut butter, bananas, sushi, more bananas, and tomatoes! I think it has some hot sauce too..." He exclaimed proudly. Blossom covered her mouth, scooting a few inches away from the blond boy. Friendship aside, his tastes were questionable...at best.

"So how um...how's your day going?" She asked awkwardly, watching him with cautious curiosity. Every bite he took was an anomaly, no one could possibly enjoy that abomination the way he did. Blossom shook her head and returned to her far less offensive turkey sandwich.

"Excuse me, is there room for one more at your chosen eating location?" Blossom blinked in mid bite, slowly turning to face the newcomer. His voice was rough and low, intimidating and biting. When she laid eyes on him...Blossom dropped her sandwich, staring in awe.

"Huh? Oh hi!" Boomer said cheerfully, his mouth full. The new boy frowned and narrowed his beady red eyes. He was...green, very green. With long, messy white hair. Oddly, his eyebrows were still dark red, matching his eyes. His uniform was a bit unorthodox,it looked a bit too big.

"Move over Blue Boy, you're taking up far too much space!" Blossom swallowed, setting down her sandwich. She scooted over, letting the new boy sit down. He took a seat, awkwardly close to her, lacing his fingers in front of him and staring at her with a knowing smile. Blossom opened and closed her mouth, finally slapping her forehead and peeking out at him.

"So...what are you calling yourself now?" She whispered. The boy chuckled, and looked down at the table.

"In this form...I am known as...Baku," Blossom sputtered, quickly covering her mouth. Baku growled and looked up at her. Blossom's cheeks were red; she clenched her eyes shut, struggling to hold in her giggles.

"B...B...Baku?" She asked with a snicker-snort. Baku narrowed his eyes and nodded. Blossom lost control and giggled wildly, shamelessly hugging Baku's arm and nuzzling his shoulder.

"Do you desire my company or not, Blossom?" He hissed in her ear, glaring at Boomer from the corner of his eye. Boomer stared at the two in confusion, then blinked and laughed, returning to his sandwich. Blossom shook her head. He already knew the truth.

"Of course...it was a great surprise. I just wish you were more creative," She mumbled, hugging his arm tighter. She wasn't about to complain. Baku eyed the remains of her lunch. After a moment of hesitation, he snatched the food and started chomping it down. Blossom only sighed and closed her eyes. She could play with her best friend and her boy...her teacher, together! It was like a dream come true!

"Hey, is Aku gonna play with us?" Boomer asked suddenly, and quite loudly just as a break in the drone of chatter descended. Blossom stared incredulously at him, while Baku greedily stole Boomer's repulsive sandwich and started to shovel it down.

"I hope so...we can teach him how to play hide and seek or tag if you want," She suggested with a shrug. Boomer grinned and nodded, his happy disposition ruined when he realized he'd lost the second half of his sandwich.

"These games you speak of, I have observed your playtime, but they do not make sense. Do you simply chase one another? What is the goal? Is there some kind of competition?" The bell was ringing, recess was starting. The three walked together to the playground, Blossom cheerfully glued to Baku's side, holding his hand excitedly. Boomer lagged behind, grumbling about his stolen sandwich.

"So what do you want to play? Tag or hide and seek? I guess we could play something else but...most of the other games are taken and no one wants to play with me...we should play tag! I think you'd like it, it was the first game I learned to play!"

"It's really easy, all you have to do is just touch someone...like this," Blossom poked Baku in the chest. The three were now on one of the more remote corners of the playground. Baku stared down at his chest in confusion. He raised an eyebrow and glared at Blossom. Blossom beamed back.

"See? Now you're it! So you have to catch me or Boomer! If you tag us, then we're the new it!" Baku looked down at his chest then back at Blossom. He reached out for her, but Blossom took a step back, dodging his slow swipe. Baku blinked and growled. He tried to touch Boomer, only to be dodged in a similar fashion.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? How am I supposed to 'tag' you if you if you continue to defy me by fleeing!" Blossom and Boomer giggled, the former shaking her head.

"You have to chase us and try to catch us! That's the whole game, silly!" Baku narrowed his eyes and took a step toward her, taking a faster swipe. Blossom moved to the side, giggling. Baku bared his teeth and swung his hand harder. Blossom jumped back, dodging again. Now snarling he charged at her, ending up face in the dirt as she side-stepped his charge. Blossom giggled; Boomer stuck his tongue out at Baku.

"You're too slow, dude! You gotta really run!" he chuckled. Blossom shook her head, taking a step closer to Baku.

"It's okay, you'll get the-WOAH!" Blossom fell backward, barely avoiding a vicious swing. Baku's glare only darkened as he ran at them again. Blossom shrieked and jumped to her feet, taking off to avoid her vengeful new friend.

"QUIT! RUNNING! AWAY! I. WILL. CATCH. YOU!" Baku nearly ran into a slide, whipping around with a crazed look in his eyes. Blossom laughed hysterically, her eyes watering. She squealed and took off running again as Baku came barreling toward her. As they passed Boomer, Baku branched off, hoping to tackle the Rowdyruff boy. He missed...by a few feet. Boomer took off, Baku hot on his tail. Blossom noticed that her boyfr-friend was winded. To be honest, so was she. Blossom sat down on a swing, watching the two boys running around. She sighed and leaned forward on her mitts, smiling.

"Geez Utonium, just waste a swing why don't you? Where's your stupid boyfriend, huh? Aren't you afraid he'll forget to blink and breath at the same time?" Blossom rolled her eyes and glared at Princess. The Powerpuff girl hopped out of the swing, trying to be diplomatic. The fire in the back of her mind was making that...less than desirable.

"Here, you can have the swing, I was just taking a break," She managed to keep her voice even...but Princess just glared at the swing.

"I didn't want the swing, please, I have better ways to spend my time," She snorted. Blossom rolled her eyes a second time and put her hands on her hips.

"How? Picking on me? I'm sure you feel like such an important person," Princess laughed and crossed her arms. Blossom clenched her fists, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm definitely more important than you now! I was pretty impressed when I heard the news...I always knew you were a big, fat screw up!" Blossom gasped and took an intimidating step forward. She could see Princess twitch but...she also saw the way her eyes strayed to Blossom's wrist. Princess knew she was neutralized. She stuck her nose up and looked away from Blossom.

"I mean, maybe I bought the whole city and made crime legal, but I never tried to destroy the world! And from what I heard...you beat up your own sisters. Is that why Bubbles won't talk to you?" Blossom swallowed. Her heart was blasting in her chest, her head was throbbing. She took another step forward, lowering her voice to just above a whisper.

"I'm warning you, Princess," The tone of her voice, it was enough to shake Princess' haughty attitude. But, as she took a step closer, not enough to dissuade her.

"Or what? You can't do anything, Utonium. If you lay one hand on me, they're gonna lynch you! I heard a lot of pretty interesting information while I was in prison. The whole world wanted your head on a PLATTER!" The two stood toe to toe, staring each other down. The fire was...getting out of control. Blossom's breathing quickened, her heart stopped beating. In just one hazy blink of an eye, she could shut the stupid, spoiled brat up once and for all.

"Ms. Utonium! Is there a problem over here?" Blossom twitched; Princess grinned. The teacher approached them, hands on her hips and a stern look in her eye. Blossom took a deep breath and shook her head.

"No ma'am..."

"Run along, and don't let me see you causing anymore trouble," Blossom gave Princess one last glare before shuffling off to find Baku and Boomer. Just one blink of an eye and Princess would never hurt her again. Unfortunately...this time, she was right. Blossom couldn't do anything.

"GET BACK HERE! I WILL TAG YOU!" Blossom gasped and ducked, barely avoiding the dodgeball Baku had hurled at Boomer. With a snicker, she rushed back into the game.

XxXxX

"Is something wrong, child?"

I sighed and shook my head. How could I explain it to him? He could never understand how it felt...to have so much power and...and still be so helpless. I shook my head and snuggled closer to him, wrapping my arms around him as far as they'd go. Aku rested his hand on my side...I sighed happily and closed my eyes.

"No...I guess not. Did you have fun? I'm sorry we were teasing you,"

"Hmph, Blossom, I am not a mere child! You cannot 'hurt my feelings',"

"I'm glad...I worry sometimes...I worry I'm not being how you want me to,"

"...Aku appreciates you for who you are, Blossom. You do not need to change,"

My eyes were watering again. I shook my head, swallowing painfully. Burying my face in his side, I curl up and pray he'll hold me. He doesn't disappoint me...soon his arms are wrapped around me. I feel so small and safe when he hugs me. Like...things might go back to the way they were before.

"Thank you...for today,"

"It was...enjoyable. I'm glad you had fun, Blossom,"

I looked up at his face. It was so close...I could almost feel his breath. Sitting up, I crawled closer. His chest...I never realized how strong it felt. Swallowing nervously, I leaned closer. Aku turned to look at me and I...I froze. So close...but still so very, very far away...

"Aku...I..."

"...It is late,"

"I know...goodnight, Aku. I...I lo..."

"Goodnight, Blossom,"